An integrated circuit including a processor, such as a micro-processor, micro-controller, or system on chip (SoC), typically executes embedded system software stored in a memory of the integrated circuit. The system software typically includes a plurality of critical software events and/or paths. During testing and debugging of the system software, the timing of each critical software event and/or path, the order of each critical software event and/or path, and the time between each critical software event and/or path is useful for determining whether the system software is operating correctly. In addition, to reduce the size and cost of an integrated circuit, the number of input/output pads or pins of the integrated circuit should be minimized.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.